Deutsche Welle, 6 December 2012
German
steelmaker ThyssenKrupp has dismissed three senior managers involved in a
series of scandals about luxury travels, price fixing and mismanagement. The
reshuffle is dubbed a "fresh start" for the struggling firm.
The
contracts of management board members Olaf Berlien, Edwin Eichler and Jürgen
Claassen would all be terminated as part of an effort to promote necessary
changes in ThyssenKrupp's leadership system and corporate culture, the German
steelmaker said Wednesday.
Claassen,
who was in charge of communication and anti-corruption policy, is currently
being investigated for misappropriation of company funds after making private
luxury trips at the expense of ThyssenKrupp.
Olaf
Berlien was allegedly involved in a price-fixing cartel in the elevator market,
which brought the German steelmaker a multi-million-euro penalty from EU
anti-trust regulators.
Edwin
Eichler was responsible for ThyssenKrupp's steel business. He is blamed for
grossly miscalculating the costs of two new steelworks, built by the company's
Steel Americas operations in the US and Brazil.
In a
statement, Chief Executive Heinrich Hiesinger described the sackings as a
"clear signal" to both the general public and the company's staff.
Underlining
the need for a "fresh start" at ThyssenKrupp, the labor
representative on the board, Bertin Eichler, told German news agency DPA that
the steelmaker needed the trust of clients and staff in the face of the huge
challenges ahead.
ThyssenKrupp
is currently restructuring its portfolio, attempting to shed much of its
loss-making steel operations in favor of its more profitable elevator and
engineering business. However, losses are expected to mount this year as the
company is facing a huge multi-billion-euro writedown from the two Americas
steelworks, which it is trying to sell off.
uhe/msh (dpa, AFP)
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